Japan's SOFTBANK MOBILE chooses Ericsson mobile broadband solution

Optimized utilization of network resources through Service Aware Support Node solution

Enabling of differentiated offerings and flexible charging

First Ericsson IP router deployment for SoftBank Mobile

Ericsson's (NASDAQ: ERIC) Service Aware Support Node (SASN) solution has been chosen by leading Japanese operator, SoftBank Mobile Corp. to provide expanded capabilities to its increasing number of smartphone subscribers.

The solution also enables truly flexible charging options and paves the way for the operator to develop differentiated service offerings based on individual subscriber needs and the service or application used.

SoftBank Mobile will also be deploying Ericsson's SmartEdge IP router for the first time. This product expands the available bandwidth, accommodating more traffic and subscribers, and provides high-speed mobile broadband services to meet customer demand.

Junichi Miyakawa, Executive Vice President & CTO of SoftBank Mobile, says: "We always aim to give our customers our full attention and stay one step ahead by continuously improving our network. Our customers are advanced users of mobile broadband and it is important that we deploy the latest technology to support them."

Fredrik Alatalo, President Ericsson Japan, says: "The increase in smartphone user numbers opens up great opportunities for operators. By introducing our SmartEdge routers in the IP backbone and our Service Aware Support Node solution, we are supporting SoftBank Mobile in evolving its mobile broadband offering even further."

The contract includes professional services covering design, installation, and systems integration of the complete solution.

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the "prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 80,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 206.5 billion (USD 27.1 billion) in 2009. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.